Direction signal for vehicles



Jan. 3, 1928.

H. W. NOTT DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES Filed June 29. 1926 2Sheets-Sheet l gwuantoz Jan. 3; 1928. 1,654,943

v H. W. NOTT I nmnc'rron SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES Filed June 29, 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented .Jan. 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES I 1,654,943 PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY W. NOTT; OF WHABTON, TEXAS.

DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES.

Application filed June 29,

' fusion or mistake.

Another object is to provide a construction of this character in whichan arrowlike member is mounted for rotation over .a circular casing andwhich is rotatable to its various indicating positions by means of amotor, the construction being such that when the controlling switch onthe steering wheel is turned to the proper position, the indicatingarrow-like member will be rotated to this position bymeans of the motorand switch.

Still another object is to provide a construction of this characterwherein in case of carelessness in the adjustment of the switch, thearrow-like member will move to its go ahead or forward indicatingposition.

Another object is to provide an electric motor for driving theindicating member and provide electrically actuated means whereby thearrow-like member may be released from its normal position and a stopmay be projected into the path of movement of the indicating member andthe motor actuated by the one operation of the switch.

A further object is to provide means whereby the motor may beautomatically stopped when the indicating member is in its normal or goahead position and another object in this connection is to so connectthe indicating member to the motor that the indicating member will bestopped at a proper indication though the motor may continue to operate.

Other objects have to do with the details of construction andarrangement of parts to appear more fully hereinafter.

My-invention is illustrated in the accom panying drawings wherein Figure1 is an elevation of a signal constructed in accordance with myinvention, the wiring thereof being diagrammatically shown.

Fig. 2. is a transverse section through the slgnal;

likelihood of con- 192a. Serial No. 119,433.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the switch;

' Fig. 4 is Figure 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section through a section on the line 1-4 of theswitch, showing the switch arm in an intermediateposition between twocontacts. Referring to these drawings 10 designates the casing which isillustrated as circular and which may be formed of any suitable materialand which preferably supports the oppositely disposed panes 11 of anysuitable material. This casing has a eripheral wall'1 2 and preferably ahooded lamp 13 of any suitable. character is disposed above the casingwith the hoods so arranged as to throw the light down upon the oppositefaces of the casing: The twofaces of the signal will be similar and thesignals will be similar and the signal should be placed somewhere on acar where it can be seen both from the front and from the rear.

Disposed within'the casing is a motor 14 shown as an electric motorthough I do not wish to be limited to this, "and operatively geared withthis motor to be driven thereby is a gear wheel 15 which in turn ismounted loosely upon a shaft 16. Keyed upon the shaft 16 is a disk 17which is held to the gear wheel 15 by light spring friction so that thisdisk 17 may be held from movement but the motor may continue to operatewhile the current remains on.

Carried by the shaft 16 are two arrows or other indicating members 18.Each is shown as being formed with an arrowshaped head but it will beunderstood that the head might have the form of a hand instead of thatof an arrow. The disk 17 carries a stop 20 in the form of a projectinglug and it will be obvious that when the motor is energized, theindicators 18, and

the shaft 16 willbe carried around with the gear wheel 15 until theseindicating members are. stopped from further movement.

For the purpose of locking the disk 17 in any one of its severalpositions and thus locking the indicators, I provide a series ofmagnets, designated 21, 22, 23 and 24. Associated with the magnet 24 isan armature 25 which is disposed outward of the magnet so that when themagnet is energized, this armature 25 is drawn inward against the forceof a spring 26. This armature is hinged at one end to the frame 'of themagnet and when it is drawn illustrated as four in number and of thestop and the same is true of the magnet 23. The magnet. 21, however, isa releasing magnet to release the indicator from its normal or go aheadposition and the armature 27 for the magnet 21 is disposed inward ofthis magnet, this armature being hinged at 28 and being drawn away fromthe magnet by means of a spring 29. When this armature 27 is releasedfrom its engagement with the magnet, the spring 29 will draw it into thepath of movement of the stop and thus it will be seen that the armature27 works reversely to the armatures of the magnets 22, 23 and 24.Mounted upon the inner face of disk 17 is a triangular or wedge-like lug30 whose purpose will be later stated.

Operating in conjunction with the indicator which has just beendescribed is a switch, the details of which will be later stated butthis switch embodies an arm 31 which is pivoted at 32 and which is connected at its.{pivotal'end by a conductor 33 to a battery'3'4 or othersource of current.

Fromthe battery 34 or other source, leads,

a conductor 35 which is connected to the binding screw 36 on the motor14 and is thus connected to one of the leads of the motor. There arefour contacts disposed in quartering relation to each other with whichthe switch arm 31 is adapted to engage. The contact37 is the one withwhich the switch arm engages normally or, in other words, whichindicates the forward movement of the machine. This contact 37 isconnected by a Wire 38 or other conductor to a binding post 39, whichbinding post carries a spring contact 40 converging to Ward a secondcoacting spring contact 41 connected to the binding post 42 and fromthis binding post 42 extends a wire or other conductor 43 which leadstomagnet 21 and,

of course, connects to the coil of this magnet. From=theelectromagnet 21leads the conductor 44,'which in turn leads to the binding post 45 onthe motor. Thus the current passing through the wire 44 leads throughthe windings of the motor and then by way of wire 35 to the battery 34.

From a contact 46' with which the switch arm contacts when the indicatoris to be shifted to a right hand turn position, extends a wire 47 whichleads to and through I the magnet 24 and from the magnet 24 leads aconductor 48 which has electrical connect1on with, the windings of themagnet 21. The current passing through the wire 48 of the stop 20 but itcourse, stops the motor and the indicator is wire 51 traverses thewindings of magnet l 21 and then returns-via the wire 44.

In order to shift the signal to its left turn position I provide on theswitch a contact 52 with which the switch arm is adapted to engage andfrom which leads a wire 53 which is electrically engaged with the magnet22. From the magnet 22 leads a conductor 54 which connects with themagnet 21 so that current traversing the coil of maget 22 will alsotraverse the coil of magnet 21 and then return via wire 44 to thebattery.

The operation of this mechanism is as follows -In its normal positionand with the switch 31 disposed in electrical engagement with contact 37the arrow or indicator 18 will point upward and will be held in thistutes a latch. Thus, while the machine is moving ahead the indicatorwill be directed upward. When it is desired to make a right turn, forinstance, the switch arm is shifted to contact 46. As soon as the switcharm has reached contact 46 but not before, a circuit will be establishedthrough magnet 24 and also through magnet 21 and the motor will beenergized. The energizing of magnet 21 will cause the lifting ofthearmature 27 which will thus release the disk 17. The disk 17 willrotate in a clockwise direction until the lug 20 on disk 17 engagesagainst the end of the armature 25 which has been brought into the pathof movement of the lug; When this occurs, the indicator 18 and the disk17 are stopped from further ment with each other. Thus, the motorcontinues to operate and carries the indicator in.

a clockwise direction around until the wedge 30 interposes between thecontacts 40 and 41,

thus breaking the circuit throughthe magnet which releases the armature27, causing it to shift under the action of-spring 29 to its latchingposition, preventing further movement of the indicator. This action, of

. the magnet 22. The motor continues to op- 3 erate but the indicatorstops.

The same operation is performed when the switch arm is shifted tocontact 49 which will cause the indicator to shift to a position whereit is pointed downward.

In order to keep the circuit through magnet 21 closed except when theswitch arm isimmediately in contact with contacts 46, 49 and 52, Iprovide a conducting strip 56 which is concentric to the pivotal center32 of the switch arm 31. This conducting strip at points adjacent thecontacts 46, 49 and 52 is depressed as at 57 but between these points 57this conducting strip is electrically engaged with the switch arm andthus as soon as the switch arm has moved from one of these contacts 46,49 or 52, the switch arm will be in electrical engagement with thecontact 37. This causes the indicator to turn to its forward indicatingposition at all times unless the switch arm is put deliberately on someone of the switch points or contacts '46, 49 or 52. When the switchlever is left carelessly between the points the mechanism will always beactuated so as to cause the indicator to shift to its normal orforwardly pointing position.

While I have illustrated coil springs acting upon the armatures of theseveral magnets, I do not wish to be limited to this exact construction.It will also be understood that the indicators are to be duplicated onopposite faces of the signal so as to show both from the front and fromthe rear.

It will be seen that this indicator is positive in action and that itdoes not depend on the use of colored lights. It is plain to be seeneven from a distance and its motion will attract the attention ofdrivers. This signal will tend to prevent accidents much better than acolored light signal because one person out of every fifteen iscolor-blind, at least as to some colors.

The signal will be particularly useful when cars are approaching eachother at corners. The switch lever 31 may be extended as at 58 andprovided with a metallic conducting -pin 59 which, when the switch leveris pressed downward at the contact points, will close an electricalcircuit between the 'terminals of wires 60 and 61. These wires may beled through the signal horn H of the vehicle and thus when the end ofthe switch lever is pressed against the terminals of the wires 60 and.61, it will automatically cause the sounding of the signal horn, thusindicating audibly that the vehicle is about to change its course orstop.

It will be seen that the indicating arrows 18 are mounted on oppositeends of the shaft 16 and that this shaft is mounted in bearings 62carried by inner plates 63 which thus act to support the shaft. It willbe seen that the arrows turn like the hands of a clock be tween theadjacent panes 11 and the casing plates 63. It will be obvious thatwhile I have illustrated a signaling device having two arrows 18,exposed through opposite faces of the casing, that only one arrow mightbe used.

\Vhile I have illustrated certain details of construction andarrangement of parts which I have found to be particularly effective inactual practice, I do not wish to be limited thereto as it is obviousthat many changes might be made therein without departing from thespirit of the invention as defined in I the appended claims.

I claim 1. A direction indicator for vehicles comprising a rotatableindicator, a motor therefor, a latch normally holding the indicator in anormal indicating position, stops individually movable into the path ofmovement of the indicator, and manually controllable means forsimultaneously shifting the latch out of its latching position to permitthe actuation of the indicator by the motor and shifting a selected stopinto the path of movement of the indicator to thereby stop the indicatorat any selected indicating position, said means acting to release-.theindicator from any selected indicating position and permitting thereturn of the indicator to its-initial indicating position.

2. A direction indicator for vehicles comprising a rotatable indicator,an electric motor therefor, a latch normally holding the indicator in anormal position, means deenergizing the motor when the indicator is atthis point, stops individually movable into the path of movement of theindicator and disposed at a plurality of indicating positions, means forsimultaneously shifting the latch out of its latching engagement andclosing a circuit, through the motor, and means for selectively shiftingany one of said stops into the path of movement of the indicator to stopthe indicator at aselected position, said means when released permitting the motor to return the indicator to its initial position.

3. An indicator for vehicles comprising arotatable indicator, a motortherefor having frictional operative engagement with the indicator, alatch normally holding the indicator-in a normal position, stopsindividually movable into the path of movement of the indicator,manually controllable means for simultaneously shifting the latch out ofits latching position to permit the actuation of the indicator by themotor and simultaneously shifting a selected stop into position to stopthe movement of the indicator at a'selected indicating point, andsimultaneously start the motor, said actuated stop when releasedpermitting the motor to return the indicator to its initial position,and means acting to stop the motor when the indicator is returned to itsinitial position.

at. A direction indicator for vehicles comprising a rotatable indicator,a motor therefor having frictional engagement with the indicator, alatch holding the indicator at a normal indicating position andconstituting an armature, an electro-magnet associated with saidarmature, a plurality of stops disposed around the path of movement ofthe indicator and constituting armatures, means normally holding saidstops out ofthe path of movement of the indicator, an electro-magnet foreach stop and when energized causing the movement of the correspondingstop into the path of movement of the indicator, and means for closingthe circuit through any one of said last named electro-magnets andthrough the first named electro-magnet to thereby cause the simultaneousrelease of the latch and the shifting of a selected stop into the pathof movement of the indicator, and means causing the stoppage of themotor when the selected stop has been released and the in dicator hasbeen returned by the motor into its initial position and latched.

5. A direction indicator for vehicles comprising arotatableindicator,.manually controlled means for shifting the indicator from aninitial indicating position to any one of a plurality of indicatingpositions, a controlling member therefor shiftable from an initialposition to any one of a plurality of controlling positions, and meansfor automatically causing the return of the indicator 7 to its initialindicating position as soon as the controlling member has been shifitedin either direction from a selected indicating position.

6. A direction indicator for vehicles comprising a rotatable indicator,an electric motor therefor having frictional engagement with theindicator, a latch normally holding the indicator in an initialindicating position, a plurality of stops adapted when actuated to shiftinto the path of movement of the indicator to thereby stop the indicatorat a selected position, manually operable means for releasing said latchand simultaneously shifting a selected stop into the path of movement ofthe indicator to thereby stop the indicator at a selected point, a motorcircuit including contacts resiliently urged toward each other, and amember carried by the indicator and adapted to be intel-posed betweensaid contacts to break the circuit through the motor when the indicatorhas reached its initial position.

7. In a direction signal for motor vehicles, an indicating member havingoperative frictional engagement with the motor, whereby to permit themotor to operate and operate the indicator member so 1on as the latteris free to move, and manually controllable means for selectivelystopping the indicator from movement at any one of a plurality ofindicating positions.

8. In a'direction sign, a motor, an indicating member havingoperative-frictional engagement with the motor whereby to permil; themotor to operate, and operate the indicating member so long as thelatter is- 1 free to move, a plurality of stops disposed.

adjacent the path of movement of the indicator, a latch holding theindicator in a normal position, manually operable means for closmg acircuit through the motor, releasing the indicator latch and projectinga selected stop, said means being operable to retract.

said step to permit the indicator to be car ried by the motor back toits initial'position, and automatically" actuated means breaking thecircuit through the motor when the indicatorhas been returned to itsindicatingposition.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my LHEML Y-IW; N T

signature.

